Apple's Renewed Focus on iPad Left the Mac Behind This Year

[McGiord]

Tim Cook is not the problem he is a simple symptom.
The problem is Apple growth had been the vast majority of new customers whom buy any crap Apple offers.
Crappy software quality and lack of key focused product development team.
Well, Tim is fully responsible to keep a mediocre team doing the sh work they had delivered.
For 2017 I thought that they will had dominated the Home Automation market, revolutionized 3D printing, and distrusted (framing autocorrect : disrupted) the subscription TV and entertainment industry, as well as had delivered and (an) Apple Car.
What we got is Microsoft selling a $179 game controller, Trump as president elect and another crappy iRelease which (with) nothing to offer but a paid emoji sticker set.
The icloud is a fart. Apple Music is its sound.
Amazon seems to be doing the right things.

What another buy out will Tim Cook pursue???
What would be a great buy to emulate what happened when they bought NeXT in the late 90s...

 

[fishmongerer]

Better Headline - Tim Cook Left Apple Behind This Year.

1. Removed 3.5mm headphone jack from iPhone
2. Made the Macbook Pro less pro
3. Neglected iMac
4. Ditched Display Business
5. Has made a loyal Apple customer not find any interest in any product in the Apple store

Get that man out of there. Please. Seriously.

-Signed Mac Pro Tower 2012 / 15 inch Macbook Pro 2011 / iPhone 6 user

6. Wireless routers?

 

[j33pd0g]

I am not the kind of person to say something like I would switch over to the PC, because I simply will not be doing that. However, if Apple gives up on the Mac, I will simply use what I have until I can't anymore. During this time, I will slowly condition myself towards a computer free life. This will mean making a change in my career. I have been working in all things digital for the last 16 years, and have no clue what else I would even want to do. It scares me to entertain this as an outcome. Having to use Windows scares me that much more.

 

[kidaje]

I don't know who I hate more
Barry
Tim
Jony

I'll go with jony.

 

[robeddie]

I'll go with jony.

I agree. I think Tim Cook has let Jony Ive free to do as he wishes, without constraints. So what we get is a relentless pursuit of thiness, everything else be damned.
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Not really! Even bad tech CEOs do annual spec bumps...

For real. To let almost an entire line rot and keep the prices the same as when they were released new is actually unprecedented in most any similar industry.
[doublepost=1481071212][/doublepost]

The MBA was a perfect student machine... and it's been abandoned by Apple

Apple spent years cultivating two market segments: students and creative professionals. That's why people are so angry with this release, they've abandoned both. It's too expensive for college kids, and too underpowered for creative professionals.

17 year olds these days expect touch as a standard interface - they've grown up with tablets - no matter what Apple pretends.

Bingo. They've sucesslfully pissed off two core markets in one fell swoop.
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They definitely need more strategic long term hires.

This is the most prophetic video about his own company that I've seen. This is apples trajectory to the letter:

That vid has been posted a few times before but absolutely agreed that THIS is the current Apple.

 

[fishmongerer]

If there are still a lot of people looking for desktop, I don't think we are in the "post-PC era" quite yet.

What would you know? There's no story about this on appleinsider, a front for sales organization?

(wink)

(Mac user since the MacSE)

 

[peter2]

I miss the AHIG mastermind Bruce Tognazzini, we could use some of his genius to bring order to the UX mess of late.

Seems to be an interesting guy. Not heard of him before.

I am not the kind of person to say something like I would switch over to the PC, because I simply will not be doing that. However, if Apple gives up on the Mac, I will simply use what I have until I can't anymore. During this time, I will slowly condition myself towards a computer free life. This will mean making a change in my career. I have been working in all things digital for the last 16 years, and have no clue what else I would even want to do. It scares me to entertain this as an outcome. Having to use Windows scares me that much more.

Unfortunately, nowadays it's not very realistic to uses what one has for a long time if the manufacturer drops a product... Without security updates, you are forced to do something rather soon, unless you like to live a dangerous life. While I understand your frustration with windows (simply, it's not a pleasure to use and its foundation is flawed), there are still some decent *nix operating systems out there (which are also not so much pleasure to use compared to OS X but at least their foundation is roughly on par with [or better than that of] OS X).

A computer-free life will be increasingly difficult in the future, but I guess what is meant by a computer will most probably change rather sooner than later.

 

[fishmongerer]

Why is everyone upset about this? You guys have to see this from the bright side. Now you can join one of these "Waiting for next gen Mac threads" and have fun waiting with your fellow MacRumors members while Apple releases new watch bands and emojis and get on your nerves by asking "What is a computer?".

Makes you wonder about this company.
1. Why use siri? I ask it where Brea, CA is and it calls one of my contacts with a name not even remotely the same.
2. Why can't I turn off voice control? So freaking annoying.
3. Why, when I do a search for weather on iPad, I get Safari return, which I don't care for, but have no choice on default, and click on Safari and it give me the weather on another side of the globe?

Why all of the endless hardware issues?
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Yeah I read that and thought 'what kind of BS spin is this?' It's dishonest reporting and if it's Apple's excuse, they're lying.

Total BS if you all of the PC makers have every variation (too many?) of latest and greatest hardware.

 

[Sandstorm]

Amazing, well balanced review. Thanks for sharing.

The same guy created excellent video (in March 2016) about the pathetic state of Mac Pro vs twice cheaper custom PC. I recommend to watch (funny how almost 10 months later nothing has changed about the Mac "Pro" and this video is even MORE spot on):

 

[fishmongerer]

No I'm spreading crap on this forum. The MBP is selling. Maybe not the "best" like LordVic points out, but it is selling. And I truly believe that in 2 to 3 years time, when Apple does drop the price on it, that it will once again be a very hot seller for Apple. This prediction is based off the last two decades of Apple business.

And I am not ignoring facts as I addressed your entire list in your initial post. But its clear that you hate and loathe the new MBP and have already written it off as a flop, which as you blame me for not having any evidence, so you too, do not have any evidence of it being a flop.

And I fail to see how this meets my agenda as I really have no stock in Apple. But will you believe me? Probably not. I'm just a poster on a forum. If this whole issue ticks you off, you know where that ignore button is.

I'm getting tired of the apple bashing because there is so much to bash.

FINE, if they want jacked up prices (were you begin sarcastic about prices going down in 2-3 years?), but they made way too many compromises and its on thinness a lot.

Touchbar - I expect it to succeed - with mixed results.

 

[gertruded]

Well, this thread is ending and being buried by time and newer stories. But the one thing I sense is most of us believe that Apple is not the Apple that we all knew, but something much less. I personally believe that it has started failing much the same way that so many other tech companies have failed, and that in 10 years it will be essentially gone.

 

[B4U]

Better Headline - Tim Cook Left Apple Behind This Year.

1. Removed 3.5mm headphone jack from iPhone
2. Made the Macbook Pro less pro
3. Neglected iMac
4. Ditched Display Business
5. Has made a loyal Apple customer not find any interest in any product in the Apple store

Get that man out of there. Please. Seriously.

-Signed Mac Pro Tower 2012 / 15 inch Macbook Pro 2011 / iPhone 6 user

6. Apple router...

 

[Abazigal]

That Microsoft Surface Studio is looking pretty good right now, don't you think guys. OSX be damned.
...
I've said it from day one, and got blasted for it. Tim Cook is an awful CEO. His ass should have been canned by now. Better yet, never hired for the position.

You know what they say. Sometimes, the grass looks greener on the other side because there's more dung there.

Reviews of the surface studio hasn't been all that stellar. From anaemic specs to its relatively high price to laggy stylus / drawing performance, it's very obviously a work in progress.

You can get one, but unless your workflow is such that you need a reclining 27" touchscreen PC, you are just wasting your money.

That said, I do feel Tim Cook is doing a commendable job of running Apple though. I can't say whether he is the perfect person for the job, but he is not the idiot you are all painting him to be. As Apple grows bigger, the problems and challenges it faces will change as well (more political in nature) and Tim is arguably the best man to navigate them through this potential minefield.

As a teacher using a 9.7" iPad Pro and Apple Pencil very happily, I am not complaining.

 

[SpinThis!]

What do Apple consumers do now that Apple is essentially selling yesterday's tech (that's also gimped) with tomorrow's prices? What are the alternatives? Me personally, I went the Hackintosh route for a desktop but what about laptops? Anyone got experience with the Razer Blade? It looks pretty solid on paper especially with that matte finish display.

So your first thought is to pirate macOS software? Stay classy, dude.

How about write to Apple? I think everyone who's pissed on this forum needs to send Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, etc. a message. I know I have. You get enough people to do so it'll make a difference.

The same guy created excellent video (in March 2016) about the pathetic state of Mac Pro vs twice cheaper custom PC. I recommend to watch (funny how almost 10 months later nothing has changed about the Mac "Pro" and this video is even MORE spot on)

Put the same GPU in both machines and you'll see better performance out of the Mac Pro. That said, there's no excuse to be still selling this machine. Truly ridiculous. Pros deserve better. And it's top of mind for me right now since Apple just EOL'd my 2008 Mac Pro from running Sierra, which means other software will stop running on it eventually as well.

 

[Icaras]

I'm getting tired of the apple bashing because there is so much to bash.

FINE, if they want jacked up prices (were you begin sarcastic about prices going down in 2-3 years?), but they made way too many compromises and its on thinness a lot.

Touchbar - I expect it to succeed - with mixed results.

No I'm not not being sarcastic at all. Again, I point to history. You don't have to look far to see Apple does this with new redesigned Mac hardware.

Examples: The MacBook Air first launched at $1799. The 64GB SSD upgrade? $999. And the first retina MacBook Pro 15" launched at $2199. See what happens over time? Apple gradually lowers the price as the tech matures. This won't be any different. All people need to do is be patient and we'll be back in that happy place again. (Well, if that place even exists on Mac rumors).

 

[robeddie]

Sorry, but this deserves to be on every thread about the current state of macs:

 

[Luscious]

Is this a story that even needed to be written? It's obvious to everbody that Apple has been neglecting their lineup of desktops for years now. Apple used to be both a consumer device and a computer company. Looks like they aren't much of a computer company these days. They have overpriced computer appliances that can't be repaired or upgraded but they don't sell actual computers anymore that can be easily upgraded or repaired.

 

[Abazigal]

Timely article by Aboveavalon which discusses this issue.

https://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2016/12/6/milking-the-iphone

Something feels off with Apple, and the blame is increasingly pointed at Tim Cook. I suspect these feelings are a result of Cook betting now is the time to milk the iPhone. Apple is doubling down on the iPhone to build one of the world's most formidable tech ecosystems, and few are taking notice.

Instead, many have graded Cook as a product visionary. The problem with that is Cook is not Apple's product visionary. (That title unofficially belongs to Jony Ive). Cook's appointment as CEO was not predicated on his ability to one day become a product visionary. Accordingly, Cook should not be judged as such. In addition, some have compared Cook to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. This is incorrect. Cook is not Apple's top salesperson. He does not possess Ballmer's keen sense of how to push product into every enterprise crevice. Instead, Cook has delegated that task to others, primarily through partnerships. Accordingly, Cook should not be judged as a salesperson.

Instead, Cook should be judged on his success in building out the Apple ecosystem. One way of visualizing this Apple ecosystem is to think of a sandcastle. The iPhone represents the highest tower in the castle while the iPad and Mac represent the much smaller outposts. Accessories like Apple Watch and Apple TV as well as services like iMessage and Apple Pay represent the high walls and moat meant to protect the castle against intruders.

It quickly becomes clear that Cook has built a spectacular sandcastle. Apple has never had a stronger ecosystem. There are now more than one billion Apple devices in use and 800 million people own at least one Apple product. More remarkably, the average Apple user owns more than one Apple product. This is even more astounding when considering the competitive landscape.

and it concludes with this.

While there is clearly room for improvement in many parts of Apple's business, management's actions are very rational. Apple is taking lessons learned from the 1990s and using them to not repeat the same mistakes with the iPhone. Milk the iPhone today, and then figure out what comes next.

Make of it what you will. I think our biggest problem here is that we lack perspective and are utterly incapable of seeing beyond our own needs and wants. Maybe Tim Cook is not doing a good job by your metric simply because the Mac Pro hasn't been updated in ages, but that doesn't mean he isn't doing a good job overall.

 

[robeddie]

Is this a story that even needed to be written? It's obvious to everbody that Apple has been neglecting their lineup of desktops for years now. Apple used to be both a consumer device and a computer company. Looks like they aren't much of a computer company these days. They have overpriced computer appliances that can't be repaired or upgraded but they don't sell actual computers anymore that can be easily upgraded or repaired.

Thank you. This is the perfect post. Voting for macrumors post of the year. WOW.
[doublepost=1481080420][/doublepost]

Timely article by Aboveavalon which discusses this issue.

https://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2016/12/6/milking-the-iphone









and it concludes with this.



Make of it what you will. I think our biggest problem here is that we lack perspective and are utterly incapable of seeing beyond our own needs and wants. Maybe Tim Cook is not doing a good job by your metric simply because the Mac Pro hasn't been updated in ages, but that doesn't mean he isn't doing a good job overall.

If anything, the article seems to imply that Cook is making exactly the same mistake Balmer made. Balmer tried to tie everything to windows, and it failed.

Now Apple is trying to tie everything to the iPhone.

 

[Juicy Box]

If Apple abandons the Mac then I will abandon Apple.

I am with you on this.

The Mac is what kept me in the Apple ecosystem.

I love OSX, and the Mac.
I like/tolerate everything else.

If Apple gives up on the Mac, switching everything else will be simple.

 

[robeddie]

I am with you on this.

The Mac is what kept me in the Apple ecosystem.

I love OSX, and the Mac.
I like/tolerate everything else.

If Apple gives up on the Mac, switching everything else will be simple.

THIS.

 

[ScottNWDW]

You're definitely not using either for anything other than sending gramma and grandpa pictures of your cat. Call me when you try running Photoshop, encoding and editing video, managing 30,000 fonts, etc.

Sorry dude, grandma and grandpa are long dead and I don't do cats. I don't need photoshop because I am a real photographer and know how to take pictures properly. I'm not into encoding or editing videos. As for 30,000 fonts, I don't see why anyone needs that many. I am perfectly fine with 400 or so on my Mac.

Not everyone needs photoshop or video editing. What 'I" use my Mac and iOS devices for is perfectly fine for "MY" needs.In your small mind though I guess since I'm not playing with fonts and videos and editing the flaws in the pictures that you take doesn't make me a "Pro" enough user. I run plenty of elaborate spreadsheets, presentations and word processing documents for a major company in the entertainment and travel industries. Trust me, I am a professional in what I do.

 

[robeddie]

Sorry dude, grandma and grandpa are long dead and I don't do cats. I don't need photoshop because I am a real photographer and know how to take pictures properly. I'm not into encoding or editing videos. As for 30,000 fonts, I don't see why anyone needs that many. I am perfectly fine with 400 or so on my Mac.

Not everyone needs photoshop or video editing. What 'I" use my Mac and iOS devices for is perfectly fine for "MY" needs.In your small mind though I guess since I'm not playing with fonts and videos and editing the flaws in the pictures that you take doesn't make me a "Pro" enough user. I run plenty of elaborate spreadsheets, presentations and word processing documents for a major company in the entertainment and travel industries. Trust me, I am a professional in what I do.

Great. You're fine with a totally weak computer.

In the past, there were plenty of Apple options for not only you, but also plenty of options for us who wanted more. More power, more expandability, more options.

So I guess a congrats is in order. Now Apple only makes products for you.

You and the apple watch wearing sissys have won. Happy now?

 

[shaunymac]

I am not the kind of person to say something like I would switch over to the PC, because I simply will not be doing that. However, if Apple gives up on the Mac, I will simply use what I have until I can't anymore. During this time, I will slowly condition myself towards a computer free life. This will mean making a change in my career. I have been working in all things digital for the last 16 years, and have no clue what else I would even want to do. It scares me to entertain this as an outcome. Having to use Windows scares me that much more.

You know, this is almost humorous and then the more one thinks on it, it resonates with a lot of us. All my time, money, software, etc. I have in this setup would be terrible if the Mac were to die. I'm far too young to "give up on computers" but I hate the thought of using the current crop of windows machines. I use one for my car diagnosis rig I have in the garage and that is enough!

I feel like they have lost their way a bit and have become complacent even though they are innovating. Yeah, the thinness and this and that is cool but if it isn't practical for all the "real users" or at least of a machine to bear the name "Pro" on it, why push it past the prototype stage?

As far as Cook's comment about "why would you want a PC anymore?" there is a lot of truth behind this. Lots of people get by with just an iPhone, iPad, etc. The problem is when you want to sit and anctually create some content, those don't do much for you Timmy. I can't ingest my photos, videos, audio, manipulate, edit, etc. on those iDevices like I can a real desktop. If exporting, rendering, etc. is taking 1-12 hours on a real Mac, how the hell is that going to work on a tablet. That is too far out.

Just slim the Mac lineup down and get serious with them. Make the money on the phones, get the TV stuff going and keep signing people up for subscription based services. I won't understand those people who shell out that money but at the end of the day it helps AAPL.

 

[ScottNWDW]

What a snotty reply. How about people that write multi-million dollar contracts, manage departments of analyst, make presentations on projects and budgets, send proposals to clients? You know folks that have real jobs and make an excellent living doing it, but never use photoshop or encode/edit video. I am talking about people with significant responsibilities that need to get **** done. Why do some folks on this form think that only their needs represent real work and describe everyone else as unsophisticated boobs posting cat photos on facebook.....give me a break!

Well said.
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The things you listed are basic computer functions covered by a 2007 netbook...

The "Pro" part, until this release, wasn't about your employment, but your professional need - ie needing a more capable machine.

Hmmmm.... last I checked if you got paid for something you were a "professional". When you get paid that means you are employed by the person that paid you. So "Professional" and "Employment" do go hand in hand. Playing with fonts, fixing flaws in your photos with photoshop and editing video as hobby is not pro, we call that "Amateur". Maybe you should look for the MacBook Amateur